How to Make Beer Caramelized Onion Hot Dogs

Hi! It's Becca again from Amuse Your Bouche!

I've already shown you how you can take your sweet potato fries up a notch by soaking them in beer before cooking - but did you know that a good old hot dog can also be bettered by beer?

Now, I'm not advising that you pour your beer right over your hot dog - unfortunately, that will result in little more than a soggy bun. Instead, use your beer to make the best caramelized onions ever - perfect for topping a hot dog.

How to Make Beer Caramelized Onion Hot Dogs

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These beer caramelized onions are something really special, but they're super easy to make. First, slice up your onions. You'll need to use an eye-wateringly large amount of onions for these, as they'll cook down as they cook (making the flavour all the more rich and intense). Slice them nice and thin for the best texture.

Once they've had a good while in a pan getting nice and dark and caramelized, it's time to add the magic: a bit of vegetable stock, a dollop of mustard - and that all important beer.

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I used Mr. Beer's Northwest Pale Ale for my beer caramelized onions, but you can use whatever you like best. Obviously a darker, heavier beer will give a richer flavour than a pale lager, so you can change it up depending on what you fancy on any given day.

Then just add your hot dogs! I cooked mine right in the pan with the onions - it means that the lovely beery flavour infuses right into the sausages (and saves on dishes to wash!).

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Since I'm a vegetarian, I used meat-free hot dogs - and while that might sound like a bit of an oxymoron, they're actually one of the few meat substitutes that I find to taste just like the meaty version! Of course, you can use meaty hot dogs if you like, but use a good quality version. If you're going through all the effort to make beer caramelized onions, you don't want to spoil them with a bad sausage.

And there you have it! Pile your dogs high with the beer caramelized onions, and top them with all the mustard and ketchup you can handle. Just make sure you've got a napkin handy.

Beer Caramelized Onion Hot Dogs

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 3 large onions, halved then thinly sliced
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2/3 cup beer - I used Mr. Beer's Northwest Pale Ale
  • 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
  • 2/3 cup vegetable stock
  • 4 high quality hot dog franks

To serve: ketchup and mustard

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and add the sliced onions. Season generously, and add the sugar. Cook over a fairly low heat, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes, until very soft and golden brown. Add the beer, mustard, vegetable stock and hot dogs, and bring to a simmer. Cook for around 10 more minutes, until any excess liquid has evaporated, and the hot dogs are entirely cooked. If the sausages need a little longer, add a dash more stock or beer. Serve the hot dogs in the buns, topped with the beery caramelized onions and your choice of sauce.